I don't know about you but I appreciate people who demonstrate gratitude. The catch, of course, is that too many of us don't. Like the story of Jesus in the New Testament when he heals a number of sick people, not all return to say thank you.
Bosses can relate to this. It's not that employees are ungrateful. Rather, it's that they rarely connect things back to the boss.
Here's a classic example: the Christmas bonus is ultimately approved and determined by your supervisor or boss. Yet, when the gift arrives, very few people see the bonus as having come from the boss himself. As a result, hardly anyone thanks the supervisor at Christmas time.
Kind of a weird dynamic. Nothing personal from the employee to the boss, just how it is in most organizations.
The bottom line is this- bosses like grateful employees. I know that I do and I try to show gratitude to my bosses as well.
Since all of us are employees in one way or another and gratitude is a lube that can accelerate your career up the corporate ladder, here are six ways to be more grateful at work:
“Joy is the simplest form of gratitude.”
- Thank your boss if and when you receive a holiday bonus. This can be as simple as an email or just stop by her office and say "thanks".
- Tell someone outside of your work about the benefits of your job. By verbalizing something positive about your job, your own gratitude will expand on a personal level.
- Commit to ditching complaining. It's easy to complain about your boss, about your workload or even your workspace. The good news is that each of these is probably better than you think (and conversely not nearly as bad as the complainers might believe) and by choosing to stop complaining, your gratitude will gradually expand.
- Make a list each day of the things you're thankful for. This can be in a digital journal or even via Instagram posts spread throughout the week.
- Tell someone else at work that you're thankful for them. This doesn't have to be awkward and a simple "thanks" goes a long way.
- Spend some quiet time thinking about the postive ways that your work enables you to make a difference. I find that Thanksgiving and Christmas provide both a lot of noise and great opportunities to reflect and be thankful. Work, even when imperfect, is a real gift.
Being grateful makes sense. It makes you more attractive as an employee and sets you apart as a humble and hard worker.